1_Interference

1_Interference

1. 2 types

   • retroactive
     • current attempts to learn something interfere with past learning
       • present interferes with past
     • proposed by Muller and Pilzecker
   • proactive
     • past learning interferes with current attempts to learn something
       • past interferes with present
     • Benton Underwood

2. An explanation for forgetting in terms of one memory disrupting the ability to recall another. This is most likely to occur when the two memories have some similarity.

3. similarity of test materials

   • McGeoch and McDonald
   • interference is strongest the more similar the items that are to be remembered are

4. evaluation

   • research is artificial
     • most research into pro/retroactive interference has been lab-based
       • artificial lists
       • nonsense syllables
       • ecological validity
         • ppts may lack motivation and thus not recall things as well as they could in a real life scenario
           • increases the impact of interference
   • interference only explains some situations of forgetting
     • interference doesn't occur that often
       • special conditions are required
         • memories need to be quite similar
       • Anderson
         • how much forgetting can be attributed to interference is unknown
   • accessibility versus availability
     • interference may only be temporary
     • Ceraso
       • ppts tested 24 hrs later had spontaneous memory recovery (accessibility had improved)
         • availability remained the same
         • interference occurs because memories are temporarily unavailable/not accessible
   • individual differences
     • some people are less affected by proactive interference than others
       • Kane and Engle
         • better working memory = less affected by PI
           • better WM also = greater resources to consciously control processing and counteract the effects of PI